


Only Survivors: The Youngest Victor

by Cloud_Nine



Series: There Are No Victors, Only Survivors [2]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: 12 Year old Katniss, Character Death, Death by Acid, Family of Choice, Gen, Platonic Relationships, Victors as a Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-11
Updated: 2013-12-11
Packaged: 2018-01-04 08:44:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1078948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloud_Nine/pseuds/Cloud_Nine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss in the games, as described (mostly) by Haymitch to other victors.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only Survivors: The Youngest Victor

They had just reached District 4 on the Victory Tour. Haymitch was beyond relieved, being stuck on a train with Effie Trinket and Katniss Everdeen was beginning to wear on him. Effie was her usual self, upset that Katniss wouldn’t smile, or laugh or even pretend that she enjoyed the trip. Oh sure, she played it up for the cameras laughing and smiling, giggling like the Capitol darling they all saw her as. One the train she was normal Katniss, sullen, angry and sometimes more than a little crazy. Haymitch took a swig of the alcohol the Capitol was ever so kind to provide, a little crazy indeed. 

The kid couldn’t sleep alone. If she woke up from a nightmare she would fight anyone that close to her. Sometimes, when he or Effie was talking to her, she would just stop whatever it was she was doing and just stare at him. It unnerved Effie horribly, she said once it was like Katniss was planning to kill her, Haymitch didn’t have the heart to tell her that she was probably right. 

There was something that Mags had always said, when it was just them, the victors, away from everything. The Capitol was making a mistake, letting there be victors. With every new victor there was a new person, a new assassin that the Capitol had created that hated everything they stood for. She said that one day the whole system would just collapse, because the victors would be strong enough to stop them. Strong enough to fight back. 

When Katniss was in a mood, Haymitch almost agreed with Mags. 

“Come on you old drunk. The train has stopped. I’m not going out there by myself.” A voice called from the doorway.

Haymitch scoffed, “They aren’t waiting for me out there, sweetheart. This is all you.” 

The kid rolled her eyes and turned away. “If you don’t hurry up, I’ll sick Effie on you.” She called before disappearing out of sight. 

His face scrunched before he could stop it. That brat was getting far too mouthy, he liked it better the first week when she was too shocked to really talk. Haymitch ignored the little voice in his head that called him a liar. 

\--

Later that night, Katniss tucked away for an hour or so before the nightmares would begin Haymitch was glad to have Mags and Finnick with them. Katniss’s victory tour was wearing on them both, understanding faces were more then welcome at this point. 

Victors had a wide array of trick for protecting their secrets. Now tucked into one of the victor houses in District 4, Mags had pulled out all of the stops. To the Capitol the house didn’t exist, nothing could be seen or hear that they didn’t want. Strong, young Finnick, sat at his mentor’s knees letting her withered hands run idly through his bronze hair. 

“So she’s bad off then?” Finnick asked eyes closed, head tilted back so Mags could reach better. 

Haymitch laughed bitterly, “Bad off is a nice way of putting it.” He wished suddenly for a drink but Mags had made it clear that he was not to drink here, not now. 

“I admit, I didn’t watch her as closely as I should have.” Mags admitted, still running her hands through Finnick’s hair. “Did she suffer much?”

The District 12 mentor was envious of the older woman in that moment. He wished he hadn’t seen what he had. “I thought she was going to die in the bloodbath,” He admitted rubbing at his face harshly. “I told her, I told her! Not to go near the cornucopia, that she was too small and that they would kill her before she could blink.” Mags and Finnick both just let him speak, both knowing the pain he was feeling. 

“Stupid girl, she didn’t listen. She never listens.” Haymitch continued, now speaking more to himself then his audience. “It started when she rushed to the cornucopia……

\--

Katniss knew Haymitch was going to be upset, he has specifically told her not to go near the cornucopia. He had told her, she would be dead before she could blink. Katniss blinked away a few stray tears, there wasn’t time for that, instead she had to take care of the knife wound she had received doing exactly what her mentor had told her not to do.

“I can hear him now. That wasn’t the smartest thing you could have done, sweetheart.” She whispered to herself, mimicking his gruff low tone. A huff that might have laugh for anyone else crossed her lips. 

The small pack and the knife she risked her life for, sat on her lap. Katniss pressed one hand to the bleeding cut on her collar bone while the other dug around in the pack. Rope, matches, an empty water bottle, a sleeping bag and unmarked box. Clumsily she pried the box open and cheered quietly, first aid supplies. Small packets of medicine, gauze, bandages and a strange object that looked almost like a stamp sat perfectly organized in the little box. One handed Katniss picked up the small stamp like object and turned it over in her hand. 

She had never seen anything like it before, and unfortunately had no idea what it did. The twelve year old froze suddenly, a sound, almost like foot steps send sharp needles of fear through her body. She had no allies in this, not even Case the boy from her district. He had promised not to kill her if he didn’t have too, but he said that if it came down to it he would do whatever he had too. 

One second, two seconds, three-something was burning her. Katniss barely held back a shout. Her hand that was holding the strange stamp like object burned, biting her tongue Katniss scanned the area searching for whatever had startled her. Finally, a lizard moved toward her and she could suddenly breath again. The year’s arena, what appeared to be several small islands surrounding a larger one was dangerous. Katniss was sure at least some of the tributes would drown, it was likely that 4 would get a victor this year. It was almost set up for it. 

The throbbing in her hand and collarbone brought her back to reality. The strange stamp thing that had burned her made Katniss frown, why was it in the medial supplies? A memory from long ago overtook her, Katniss could remember her mother cauterizing a wound. A miner had been hurt and needed to be able to work she could still remember the scream he had made when her mother pressed the hot metal to his skin. She knew what she was supposed to do with the stamp like objet. Taking a deep breath Katniss gathered her courage and pressed the strange object to the cut. Burning pain shot through her, she could feel her skin knitting back together and it hurt. 

It was only through sheer will alone that Katniss managed to stop herself from crying out. After what she hoped was sufficient enough time Katniss pulled the strange medical device away from her collar bone. Although she couldn’t see it, she ran her hand over the area and felt tight, smooth skin. It had sealed the cut. 

“Now what?” The 12 year old whispered to herself, gathering her supplies back into the bag. It wasn’t safe where she was, to be perfectly honest it wasn’t safe anywhere in the arena. Katniss knew the trees would be her safest bet. She was small and light enough to be perfectly safe, the other tributes even Case would never be able to get as high as she could. The real problem was getting from island to island. The islands were connected by a thin, stone walk way. The stone looked wet constantly so if you slipped you had better know how to swim. If you just swam across there was always the chance of a mutt eating you, or the career pack spotting you. 

Staying on the middle island, where she currently sat, was not an option. It was too dangerous, being career territory. They would hunt her down, find and kill her. Katniss knew that this was likely but she refused to give up. Not after all the trouble she went through to convince Haymitch. 

Katniss prepared herself, and stood, for a few seconds the world spun. Before she managed to seal the wound she had bled quite a bit. Food, water and safety. Those were the things she needed to take care of, and soon. 

\--

“So it sounds like she started off pretty good. Bad luck about the cut, but she ended up with one of the premium packs. It honestly could have been worse, Haymitch.” Finnick said, worried. The little girl’s story didn’t seem too bad just yet, but the look on Haymitch’s face chilled him to the bone. It was going to get worse. 

The older male’s face turned to stone, and Finnick felt Mags tug at his hair whether in punishment or nerves but when Haymitch began neither mentor from district 4 interrupted him. 

“It started there, Finnick, but her problems didn’t end there, after the wound on the first day it made it harder to get sponsors later….”  
\--

Two days in and Katniss was ready to just fall over and die. 10 tributes were dead, so far, six to the bloodbath, one to drowning, two to the career pack and one to water. The island, the main island where she had set up camp was devoid of food and water. The only water was poison, and the only thing edible was the stupid lizard that had startled her that first day. Katniss had watched as a career from district 1 died horribly after drinking the water in the small pond just off to the left the tree top hiding place she had made for herself. 

The tribute, a girl from one, had scooped up a handful of the water and drank it slowly. At first everything was fine then the screaming started, the water turned to acid. Katniss watched as the not-water ate through her hands then her mouth, throat and stomach. The way the girl screamed for what seemed like hours before the others in the career pack finally put her out of her misery still rang in Katniss’s ears. 

The idea of drinking anything in the arena made it hard to breath, but Katniss knew that she was going to have to get something eventually. The tell tale signs of dehydration were slowly creeping up on her. Everything was harder, thinking was more difficult and being on the same island as the career tributes meant that not being able to think was dangerous. 

Katniss knew what she had to do. There were no trees that would let her cross to the next island that way, and she had no weapon other than the small knife that allowed her to cut bark to chew on so she could focus. It seemed that only the small pond contained acid, the actual water separating the islands was real salt water. Nothing that could really hurt you. Katniss guessed that was because it would kill the tributes too quickly if it was all acid. 

Katniss was stuck, she could either die of starvation or dehydration on the main island, or come down from her hideaway and get to the next island. Of course she would have to face the career pack, being a tiny 12 year old from District 12 was not going to help her in anyway. She was running out of options, and she always ran the risk of the gamemaker getting bored with her hiding and flushing her out. Nearly half of the tributes were still out and about surely the Capitol was going to be looking for some fun soon. 

“We need to get off this island. We are out of rationed water and there is obviously none left here.” A male tribute said to another that Katniss was unable to see from her spot up in the tree. 

“I know that Topaz!” A female voice snapped. “There is nothing here. Nothing useful. I thought that with this damn bow here, the gamemakers would have stuck something to eat on this damn island.” She continued to rant and rave but Katniss had stopped listening. 

When she rushed the cornucopia she hadn’t seen a bow being far too involved in not dying for the pack of supplies she had gathered. The stupid girl from two and her knives had distracted her from a bow. It was her bow, they had put it here for her, Katniss was sure. 

Slowly the longer she drifted from listening to the few careers that had for some reason gathered beneath her tree bicker and thinking about her bow, a plan formed. It was dangerous. More dangerous than heading straight into the bloodbath. ‘You can either die in this damn tree or you can man up and get something done,’ Katniss berated herself, but still something in her would not move. Fear ate away at her, and Katniss knew that if the fear continued to win, she would die. Suddenly an image of Prim, her lovely little duck, who was at home, waiting for her. 

With Prim’s face locked in her mind Katniss shifted ever so carefully, and moved to a tree further away it would not do to come down right on top of the careers. 

\--

“Wait!” Finnick cried, “She just jumped down, into the career pack? No real plan? Just…” The youngest mentor from district 4 was stunned. He had seen the interaction between, Katniss and the career pack sparingly, through the eyes of his tribute Neil. 

Haymitch laughed and took a long drink, “Plan!? That girl couldn’t plan a birthday party. Everything is instinct to her. That’s all she is…”

“It’s kept me alive so far.” 

Finnick jumped and craned his head back over Mag’s leg to see the too thin frame of Katniss Everdeen leaning in the doorway, staring hatefully at her fellow victor from district 12. Said fellow victor just scoffed and took another drink. 

“Just making a comment, sweetheart.” Haymitch said staring at her in the way Finnick recognized from Mags face, concern. “Couldn’t sleep?”

The girl shook her head and shuffled over to Haymitch, she glanced at Finnick and Mags before quirking an eyebrow. Katniss stared for a moment more then shrugged. The two victors from 4 watch as she sunk to the floor and curled up as small as she could get herself, one shoulder leaning ever so carefully on Haymitch’s leg. 

Finnick was started to see the surprise flash through the older male’s eyes before his face settled again. “Mags and I were just getting a play-by-play of your games, Katniss.” Finnick said, unsure of how to treat the girl. She was a victor, sure, but she was still 12. Maybe 13, but no more the that. Since Mags continued to pet his hair he figured he had done something right. 

The irritation in the young victor’s face was easy to see, Finnick didn’t understand it but Mags seemed too, “Would you like to continue it, Katniss? Haymitch has tendency to exaggerate things, when he’s drinking.” No one commented on the silent, so all the time, Mags implied. 

The dark haired girl, stared at the old woman and nodded. “Where did he stop?” Katniss seemed to be directing the question at Finnick and Mags, as if Haymitch would lie. 

“You have a plan and are about to surprise the career pack.” Finnick filled in helpfully making himself comfortable against Mag’s legs again.

Katniss made a face but nodded. “I moved over to the edge of the island, the trees being so close together at the tops made it easy. I climbed down and none of them noticed so when I got close enough I made sure to make some noise and get out of the way. Even with their knife thrower dead I wanted to make sure I stayed alive long enough to enact my plan.”

\--

“Who’s there!” The boy from 2 yelled into the tree line. The career pack consisted of the boy and girl from 1, the boy from 2 and the boy and girl from 4. Katniss didn’t know their names or faces but she knew their voices. 

“I’m here to make an alliance,” Katniss said calmly, stepping out from the tree line, hands up but ready to move if necessary. Katniss watched as the careers relaxed, they weren’t worried anymore. That could be dangerous. 

“You’re the little girl from 12,” the girl from 1 said. “Are you stupid or something? Coming here like this.” 

Katniss scoffed, “Came here? I’ve been here. I’ve been here since the start of the games. I could've picked out off, one by one if I wanted.” The disbelieve was obvious in their faces, their hands twitched and Katniss felt the weight of the cameras on her. The career pack was the focus normally and she was right in the middle of them. Assuming that they didn’t just kill her, this was her chance to get sponsors and as much as Haymitch bitched that she didn’t listen to him, she remember that sponsors could save your life. 

“Liar!” One of the boys hissed, “We would have noticed. There is no where to hide on the island.” 

Katniss gave the career a look of pure distain. “I watched the girl from two dissolve. You tripped over dead body trying to get away from the pond.” Her words were soft and clipped, she could not afford to show weakness here. It was lucky that the boy had shouted when he tripped. 

The 12 year old watched as the careers shared a look. “What are you expecting, 12? You are just a kid. We could easily take you out,” the girl from 4 said almost hesitantly. Internally Katniss grinned, she had them. 

“Sure you could, but I’ve got something you need.” Katniss watched them share a look and continued. “I grabbed the medical pack.” It hadn’t been obvious right away but when the complaints from the careers had gotten louder, Katniss had realized that the gamemakers had only put her first aid kit in the arena. There were no other medical supplies. 

“Before you get any ideas if I die, you will never get it. I’m the only one that can get it. First, I’m the only one that knows where it is and I’m I am the only one physically that can get it.” Katniss told them, fear rocking through her from the way they twitched. She swallowed, trying to keep calm, she couldn’t afford to let her mask fall yet.

“What do you want for the medical supplies?” The boy from 1 asked, oddly enough he seemed the most receptive. 

The girl from his district hissed, “Shut up Patris!” 

Patris ignored her, “I’ve still got a hell of a burn from that acid, and Brutus isn’t sending me anything!” He turned more to Katniss, “Well?” 

The girl from district 12 licked her lips, “An alliance, at least until water is found. I can offer the medical supplies and a bird’s eye view, it will be easier to see anyone that come after us.” 

The girl from one smiled, “Until water is found? That could be a while, little girl. Why should we have to carry your dead weight. Why don’t I just make you tell us where the supplies are,” She paused for a minute and snatched the knife from her district partner’s hands. “You will tell me. Get ready to scream my name, little girl. I might even make you like it.” 

Katniss didn’t have time to prepare, this was not something she had planned for, the girl from district 1 had seemed hateful but not crazy. Before she could react, 100 plus pounds of muscle landed on top of her and Katniss began to struggle. 

Faintly, she could hear the other careers betting and jeering in the background, this tribute was nuts. Katniss was weak from lack of food and water, the district 1 tribute was easily able to pin her. They ended up with Katniss flat on her back, the other tribute straddling her. “Come hold her arms Patris.” Katniss thrashed as best she could but the older female tribute was not moving. 

Soon enough she felt what could only be the weight of the largest career, the 18 year old from 2 holding her arms down. “Make it quick, Satin. We need to find that damn pack.” 

Satin, the dark haired female tribute that promised to make Katniss scream just smiled. “I’ll do my best, Patris, but my work can’t be rushed.”

\--

The three older mentor’s watched as Katniss stopped talking. Finnick stared at her hard, “She’s not breathing.” 

“Shit,” Haymitch suddenly alert, sat up and grasped Katniss’s shoulders. She didn’t even twitch. “Come on sweetheart, breathe for me!” Awkwardly he twisted her around to look at her face. Eyes blank. “Wake up, Katniss! You aren’t there anymore. You’re safe! Wake up!” Finally after giving the girl a shake she blinked. 

Finnick and Mags watched as she simply curled back up this time clutching Haymitch’s leg not moving or talking. “Katniss?” Mags asked carefully. The girl just shook her head and hid her face in her mentor’s legs. Haymitch sighed and got the idea. 

“Want me to continue or shut up?” He asked. Katniss didn’t answer so the drunk continued, needing to get it off his chest. Never knowing that Katniss was still more trapped in her memories then fully in the present. 

\--

Katniss wasn’t sure how long she had been under the knife of the crazy girl from district 1. Everything was running together, like the blood running down her face. It was only luck that she hadn’t started to truly disfigure Katniss yet, it was the threat of Katniss biting her own tongue off and bleeding to death, never letting them find the medical kit that stopped her. 

“Just tell, me, 12.” Satin purred into Katniss’s ear, “It will all be over. You be dead and it won't hurt anymore.” Blood roared in Katniss’s ears, or maybe it was blood ran over her ears? 

“I’ll even make your death quick, I’ll slice your throat. Wont feel a thing.” She promised licking at Katniss’s blood. It was lie though, Katniss had heard her talk, the stories of leaving people gasping as their throat opened up, bleeding unable to breath, just gasping until they died. 

The knife traced her cheekbone under her eye, “I could take one.” She said casually. “Just one, leave you here, ruined. Let someone one else pick you off. Helpless.” She giggled and Katniss felt her stomach roll. “Or your hand. You’d be just that that mentor from 11. Of course you’ll be dead at the end of the games.” 

Her voice was sickly sweet, soft and sometimes kind, Katniss cried out as Satin drew another meaningless symbol into her skin. “Come on 12. Give it up already...or I might just kill you.” Evidently this was taking too long.

Everything burned. That’s the problem with cuts, they didn’t outright hurt, it was a sharp sting or burn. Burn. Burn. Burn. The acid pond was just to the left of her tree. The tree the careers were leaning on watching her be tortured. 

Katniss was unsure of how she could overpower the career. Satin had to have 50 pounds on her and at least four inches of height, but that didn’t matter. “Alright!” She cried suddenly, through clenched teeth. “I’ll show you, just stop please!”

Satin smiled and pressed a kill to Katniss’ bleeding cheek. “Good girl. Keep hold of her arms, Patris.” The dark haired female from 1 stood and watched smugly as her victim wobbled even with Patris holding her arms so tightly. “Where is it, honey?” She asked so kindly it almost made Katniss sick. 

“Over here.” She muttered tugging at her arms, trying to get Patris to move with her. “Remember none of you would fit. I have to get it.” 

The two shuffled along with Satin still watching carefully. Katniss risked a look around, and only the boy from two remained. Both district 4 tributes weren’t around, Katniss wasn’t sure where they had wandered off to, but she wasn’t going to mention it. It was easier if she only had to worry about the three tributes instead of five. Katniss motioned to a small hole in tree at the bottom. “There. Good luck being able to get your hand in there. Mine barely fit.” She said hoping they would take the bait.

“Get it for me 12.” Satin demanded, “Let her go, Patris. If she runs, Topaz will kill her right?” The boy from 2 grunted, affirmative. Katniss swallowed and moved stiffly, every move she made felt as her already split skin was tearing more. Blood loss was making everything cold, but she knew she could still do this. Hitting the ground harder than she meant too, Katniss sucked in air and forced herself to move. She stuck her hand in the hole knowing nothing is there. 

“I-I can’t reach it.” She said, not having to act scared. Satin’s face darkened and Katniss worked harder to reach something that was in the tree top not at the base. “My fingers are just touching it, I used a stick to push it back there, I can’t get it.” She said trembling. 

“Move 12. You are going to die screaming. Hold her Patris.” Satin demanded shoving Katniss out of the way and taking her place on the ground arm extended into the trunk of the tree. It was hard work and Katniss knew that it would take work for her to remove her arm, it really was a tight ft. 

The trick now was killing Patris and Satin, while keeping Topaz scared enough not to react. It would have to be brutal. The hulking tribute had a hold of her arms again, they were maybe three feet from the pond and Katniss was worried that he wouldn't let go and she might get dragged in with him if she just pushed. He had to let go. 

Without stopping to think about it, Katniss jerked her knee up so that it connected with Patris’s groin. The large tribute shouted pain and reflexively let go of his captive. She only had but a moment but Katniss took it, while he was off balance, she shoved him hard and Patris stumbled to the edge of the pond, when his arms were thrust out trying to find something to grab hold of her hit air. 

Katniss didn’t stop to listen to him scream, instead she jumped from her spot and landed hard maybe a foot away on Satin’s elbow. The crunch had Katniss gagging. 

“You little bitch! I’m going to murder you!” Satin screamed in pain, her arm still stuck in the tree being unable to remove it after the break. Katniss knew she couldn’t leave Satin alive, with the acid pond being only three feet away she suddenly got an idea. It was horrific but it would work. Flooded with adrenaline Katniss grabbe Satin by the shoulders and pulled. 

The tribute screamed in pain, somewhere in the distance Patris’s canon fired. The underfed and weak girl drug the flailing Satin to the pond. Just her head reached the water. It happened so fast Katniss wasn’t sure who screamed. She shoved Satin’s face into the pond. The acid water burned her hands but Katniss held on as long as she could before the it started to destroy the skin and pulled back leaving Satin in the water. 

Katniss rubbed her hands on the ground trying to wipe some of the acid off, but it continued to burn. Barely able to, she kicked off her boot and there at the bottom was a small packet. As quick as she could Katniss tore it open and the burning began to stop. After watching the district 2 girl die she had found the acid antidote and carried it with her all the time. The burning stopped spreading and the skin began to scab over, the best she could get. 

It was then Satin stood up.

Her face was gone. That was all Katniss could think. It didn’t matter that the gamemakers had changed the water again, this time just to prolong Satin’s suffering. All Katniss knew was that Satin was staring at her, except she didn’t have eyes anymore. 

\--

Haymitch finished the story, Katniss entwined with his legs, his liquor bottle drained and the mentors from district 4 just staring at them and they all knew there was to be no more tonight. Neither saw Mags tug gently at Finnick’s hair or the look they shared. Both district 12 victors were startled when they were led out of the sitting area and into their shared living quarters. Finnick gently steered a silent Katniss and Mags pushed and prodded a grumpy Haymitch to their beds. 

“You two sleep,” Mags said tucking Haymitch in after having him kick off his shoes. She watched as Finnick carefully maneuvered Katniss under the blankets and smiled. “We will take first watch.” 

In the hunger games, 24 children go in under the impression that only one of them can win. What they do not understand is no one wins the hunger games. There are only survivors.


End file.
